Mass Effect 3

[Guest]

GOTY ̶2̶0̶1̶1̶ 2012

Could be a reason why they are holding back on it. The more screenshots that come out, the more excited I get for this game though.

[killgod]

It's probably because they are going to release SWTOR this fall and want to spread out the releases over two different financial quarters.

[Guest]

It's probably because they are going to release SWTOR this fall and want to spread out the releases over two different financial quarters.

Has it finally been announced for the fall? I'm going to have to buy a new Windows PC to be able to handle it.

[killgod]

It's my assumption at least, don't think it's official.

Seems to make the most sense for EA to release them separate like that though.

[Guest]

It's my assumption at least, don't think it's official.

Seems to make the most sense for EA to release them separate like that though.

I've checked a couple places, and it's still listed as Spring 2011......but we are already there. No way the game can ship in a month.

I do have to wonder how long it will take to announce it. I'll have to check in with my friend who played in the beta and see what issues they had.

[BrntO4Life]

It's my assumption at least, don't think it's official.

Seems to make the most sense for EA to release them separate like that though.

SWTOR got a delay yesterday as well. I don't think it hits until Spring 2012.

Electronic Arts and BioWare are betting big on Star Wars: The Old Republic, easily the highest-profile competitor to World of Warcraft since Blizzard assumed genre dominance, but nailing down a release date has been a constantly moving target. In discussing its latest fiscal results, publisher EA was just as cagey about when The Old Republic will be released. Their only guarantee? Before March 31, 2012.

"We are preparing the launch of Star Wars: The Old Republic," said EA CEO John Riccitiello on today's financial call. "The launch date, while in our fiscal year, is not yet certain."

In EA's own breakdown for the next year, the company "assumes" The Old Republic will ship within the calendar year (read: before the end of 2011), but has baked in the possibility of a slip into 2012. Just today, BioWare and EA announced Mass Effect 3, originally scheduled for holiday 2011, is now early 2012.

"While we fully anticipate launching Star Wars: The Old Republic in Q2 or Q3," said CFO Eric Brown, "the low end of our guidance range assumes the outside possibility of a January launch."

If you're not following EA's explanation so far, here's a summary: The Old Republic's coming this fiscal year and expects it before 2011's end...but there's a chance it won't actually arrive until next year. Okay.

Unsurprisingly, EA believes the launch of The Old Republic will be "the biggest event of the year."

"We currently have over one million double-opt-in beta testers for the world’s first story-driven, fully
voiced MMO," said EA Games president Frank Gibeau. "Everyone is waiting for us to announce the ship date… Sorry, but that’s not going to happen today. We’re holding the date for two reasons--first, we don't want to tip off the competition; second, we want more data from the beta test to guarantee a spectacular experience at launch."

The wait continues. Ironically, this all comes on Star Wars Day. May the 4th be...oh, nevermind

http://www.giantbomb.com/news/star-wars-the-old-republic-releasing-sometime-before-uh-march-31-2012/3132/

[killgod]

Well I might still be partially on the right track. Looks like SWTOR aiming for Q4 2011 and ME3 for Q1 2012.

Might not be a bad time to get some EA stock and dump it after ME3 drops.

[BrntO4Life]

Well I might still be partially on the right track. Looks like SWTOR aiming for Q4 2011 and ME3 for Q1 2012.

Might not be a bad time to get some EA stock and dump it after ME3 drops.

I think ME3 hits in Jan. 2012 and SWTOR hits in March of 2012. That's enough time for SWTOR to not cannibalize sales (not sure it would anyways). Also, it sets it up to be on an opposite release cycle from World of Warcraft.

We will probably find out for sure at E3.

[Guest]

I think ME3 hits in Jan. 2012 and SWTOR hits in March of 2012. That's enough time for SWTOR to not cannibalize sales (not sure it would anyways). Also, it sets it up to be on an opposite release cycle from World of Warcraft.

We will probably find out for sure at E3.

And here is the thing- both games hit right during times when most people are playing. Its not the spring or summer, where people are outdoors or on vacation. Its a perfect setup for Bioware.

I applaud the hold on not rushing the game. It is going to be a huge competitor to World of Warcraft, so get it right.

[CCBrink]

DICE is working with Bioware on the weapons for the game.

[killgod]

http://kotaku.com/5800972/five-new-mass-effect-3-details-you-might-want-to-hear

 

Five New Mass Effect 3 Details You Might Want to Hear
Mike Epstein — Mass Effect 3 executive producer Casey Hudson spoke with UK magazine Xbox World, divulging some mid-production intel about Shepard and company. The info is scattershot; little pieces of unconnected details about many different aspects of the game. Still, they help to create a larger picture of BioWare's vision for the game.

For those of you who want stay spoiler-free, here's a broad over-arching synopsis. If all goes according to plan, Mass Effect 3 is going to be bigger than its predecessors: It's also going to be more detailed than ever before. BioWare's goal is to create a realistic physical world worthy of holding the epic universe they created and that their fans love.

Warning: Spoilers below. This is the point of no-return. Reading past this point will reveal information vital to the plot of Mass Effect 3

1. Mass Effect 3 will have fewer party characters than Mass Effect 2
Don't expect to have nearly as many characters in Mass Effect 3 as you did in ME2. ME2's large crew—12 playable characters—was necessary for the game's posse-building storyline, but was a little large for BioWare's taste.

"Twelve was a big number in Mass Effect 2 - almost too big", says Hudson. "We're focused on a smaller squad with deeper relationships and more interesting interplay in Mass Effect 3' he explains. "We're not going to have twelve again but we are going to do more with the characters on your squad including Liara, and Kaidan or Ashley. And we're bringing everyone back - every main character is in Mass Effect 3 somewhere."

So yes, it is very possible that you might not get to control your favorite ME2 character. That said, every character from the game has a role to play in the story, provided they survived your trip through the Omega-4 relay.

2. You will travel to new worlds.
This one's kind of a no-brainer. Many of the planets you'll visit in ME3 are places you've only heard about in previous games. Hudson mentions that you'll see Palaven (the Turian homeworld) and Rannoch (the Quarian homeworld) in the game. It's also confirmed that you will return to Krogan homeworld Tunchaka.

As you might have already guessed, Shepard will also be going to Earth in this game. Hudson said that players will get to see "a Seattle/Vancouver megacity" both before and after the Reapers destroy it. Connecting the world of Mass Effect to our own, the city is designed to look just like Vancouver. "If you Google Map Vancouver the layout is pretty much the exact same as our map," according to level artist Don Arceta.

3. Those worlds are going to be big.
Reapers are big. In order to have accommodate fights with them, or even having them nearby means designing levels much larger than the usual spaceship corridors that make up a large portion of Mass Effect's locales. Many of levels will include more open spaces. BioWare plans to make the shift in a way a dramatic way, claiming that some levels that are not only larger than anything ever seen in a Mass Effect game, but larger than any game built with the Unreal Engine.

Think of it this way. At least one level has to be big enough for Shepard to fight using a 50-foot tall Cerberus mech.

4. In combat, you'll need to think on your feet
The gunplay in Mass Effect 2 is mostly standard cover-based shooter fare. It was often OK to hide behind cover, picking off enemies at the back of a room while directing your teammates. The ME3 team plans to change that. They want you to be forced to scramble. To do that, BioWare is putting enemy tactics at the forefront. Different types of enemies will not only have varying abilities, they'll those skills in tandem. "Some will provide covering fire for snipers, some will deploy smoke to hide advancing comrades, others will coordinate subordinate units, and one will stomp around consuming its fallen friends to fuel itself," according to the feature.

5. Weapons are going to be much more customizable and detailed
In keeping up with their pledge to create a "deeper RPG experience" this time around, you'll be able to fine-tune your weapons in Mass Effect 3 much more than the last two games. "Every weapon is modular and can be customised with up to five modifications; scopes increase a rifle's zoom factor, new barrels increase accuracy or damage," Says Hudson. "Sling your gun on a workbench and it can be customised for a job at hand." Based on that last part, it sounds like it may be important to not only upgrade your weapons, but adjust them to suit different situations.

Hudson also mentioned that the team has been mixing it up with members of the DICE team, getting advice on how to make the guns sound realistic in varying environments.

Now that you've read all that, you're probably not happy that you'll have to wait until 2012 to finally get your hands on it.

It's not loaded with spoilers but does give you an idea about your party members, where you'll go, combat and weaponry.

I'm not one for finding out too much before a game drops, but I'm glad I read that.

Now excuse me while I go until this comes out.

[BrntO4Life]

http://kotaku.com/5800972/five-new-m...t-want-to-hear

 

It's not loaded with spoilers but does give you an idea about your party members, where you'll go, combat and weaponry.

I'm not one for finding out too much before a game drops, but I'm glad I read that.

Now excuse me while I go until this comes out.

Listen to the podcast

[killgod]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_M8871dVLDM[/ame]

haha that was neat.

[Saluki]

When i got my new 360 S, i saved my harddrive and got a transfer cable JUST to keep the mass effect save i've had since ME1

[Buzzman]

Amazon has posted details on the collector's edition for Mass Effect 3 on 360, PS3 and PC. Listed at $79.99 with a March 6, 2012 release date, the set includes an art book, a limited edition Dark Horse comic, an N7 fabric patch, and a collection of extra in-game content. The product features listed on Amazon are:

-Premium metal case featuring commemorative artwork of Commander Shepard
-70-page hardbound art book featuring hundreds of unique and gorgeous illustrations from the BioWare development team plus an exclusive 4x6 lithographic print featuring a one-of-a-kind piece of artwork
-Limited edition Mass Effect comic by Dark Horse Comics, complete with unique cover artwork
-Join the ranks of the N7 with the premium fabric N7 patch
-A full collection of in-game content that can't be found anywhere else!

The 360 box art features a Kinect banner, confirming rumors that the 360 version will have some kind of Kinect support. The Microsoft press conference starts shortly, so it's likely that details on its Kinect functionality will be revealed momentarily.